When the queen of Saba[1] heard of the fame of Sulayman concerning the name of Allah, she came to test him with hard questions. 2She came to Jerusalem with a very great caravan, with camels that bore spices, and very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Sulayman, she talked with him about all that was in her heart. 3Sulayman answered all her questions: there was nothing hidden from the king which he could not explain to her. 4When the queen of Saba had seen all the wisdom of Sulayman, and the house that he had built, 5and the food of his table, and the seating of his servants, and the service of his waiters, and their clothing, and his cup bearers, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of Allah; there was no more spirit in her. 6She said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts, and of your wisdom. 7However I didn’t believe the words, until I came, and my eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me; your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard. 8Happy are your men, happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you, and who hear your wisdom. 9Praise be to Allah your God, who delighted in you, to set you on the throne of Israel: because Allah loved Israel forever, therefore made he you king, to do justice and righteousness. 10She gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, spices in great quantity, and precious stones: there never again came such abundance of spices as the queen of Saba gave to king Sulayman. 11The navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees and precious stones. 12The king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of Allah, and for the king’s house, harps also and lyres for the singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen, to this day. 13King Sulayman gave to the queen of Saba all she desired, whatever she asked, besides that which Sulayman gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned, and went to her own land, she and her servants. 14Now the weight of gold that came to Sulayman in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold, 15besides that which the traders brought, and the traffic of the merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country. 16King Sulayman made two hundred large shields of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of gold went to one shield. 17he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three minas of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. 18Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the finest gold. 19There were six steps to the throne, and the top of the throne was round at the back; and there were armrests on either side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests. 20Twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps: there was nothing like it made in any kingdom. 21All king Sulayman’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was considered of little value in the days of Sulayman. 22For the king had a fleet of merchant ships at sea with the fleet of Hiram: once every three years the fleet of merchant ships came bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. 23So king Sulayman exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. 24All the earth sought the presence of Sulayman, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 25Each man brought a gift: articles of silver and gold, clothing, armour, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year. 26Sulayman gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he stationed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem. 27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as abudant as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland. 28The horses which Sulayman had were imported from Egypt and Cilicia; the king’s merchants bought them in Cilicia at the standard price. 29An Egyptian chariot cost six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse one hundred fifty; in turn, they were resold and exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.
[1] 10:1 Saba, or Sheba